Posted on 10/24/2004 11:01:39 AM PDT by raccoonradio
WESTON -- Among the few New Englanders dismayed by last week's collapse of the Evil Empire, Weston residents Mark Fishman, Ian Masotti and Tommy McCabe gathered to commiserate and prepare for a World Series without their beloved Yankees.
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The trio of fourth-graders is among roughly 50 students at the Field School who tested the patience of parents and coaches in this wealthy suburb this summer by forsaking the Red Sox and throwing their support behind the most successful franchise in baseball.
While Red Sox Nation took to the streets Wednesday night in "Why Not Us" T-shirts, chanting, singing, and dancing, these young Yankees fans somberly prepared for bed -- there would be no frosty mugs of Kool-Aid hoisted high this year.
Now, they -- like pinstripers everywhere -- are learning that even the mightiest of dynasties crumbles. And they are suffering postseason symptoms more commonly experienced by Sox fans: heartache and denial.
"We won 26 World Series and 39 AL pennants," Mark, 9, said glumly as he and his friends leafed through Yankees memorabilia in his living room Friday. "The Red Sox got lucky."
From across the coffee table, Steven and Laurie Fishman exchanged knowing glances. Doting parents, pediatricians, and proud Sox fans, they have watched in horror over the past two years as these young caretakers of Weston's future fell prey to the Empire's allure.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
--- "The next few days will determine if Tommy's cheering proves effective. In the meantime, there are other rivalries to keep the boys occupied.
"'Go Bush!' Tommy exclaimed.
"'Go Kerry!' Ian retorted."
---- Well, W has Tommy's vote...but Tommy can't vote till 2012...
Well these Bostonians can always flip flop like one of their fearless leaders.
Yanquis go home.
>>Well these Bostonians can always flip flop like one of their fearless leaders.
They may be Sox fans by the end of the week! :)
Full disclosure: the Boston Globe is owned by the NY
Times, which is part owner of the Sox.
The last time the Yanks won the WS was half his life ago.
>>"We won 26 World Series and 39 AL pennants," Mark, 9
What do you mean "we", young man? You were 5 years old in 2000 and I don't remember seeing you on the field celebrating with Jeter and Clemens :)
OMG collusion!
We won? What position does Mark play?
I wouldn't mind Boston winning because it way over due. I don't get into the fan escapades, but what a tragedy that the girl died.
What is it about victory the last ten years that makes city dwellers get stupid and destructive?
I liked the fact that Boston still has wooden numbers that are changed by people. There is also an old sense of baseball history, OR THEY ARE TOO DAMN CHEAP TO ERECT A NEW FACILITY.
They wanted to build a new field. But Boston politics blocked them. They were even going to keep the green monster in left field, but politics. Hard to compete when you only can fit 35K people in per game. That's why they have the most expensive tickets in the majors.
Wow, that doesn't serve the fans at all.
I guess with every home game in regular season a near sell out that the local public channels are allowed to more than likely broadcast the game.
Here in CA, you get the away games on local over the air channels, but the home games are broadcast only on cable where you have to pay.
With the small field I would figure there are lots of local games broadcast. That is a plus for the local fans without cable I would think.
>>THEY ARE TOO DAMN CHEAP TO ERECT A NEW FACILITY.
It cost the owners a mere $700 million for the team a couple years ago (though they're making lots of profit
via the cable channel, ticket and merch. sales, etc.)
No money left over for a new Fenway, I guess. So they're
rehabbing the old one.
The plan a couple yrs back was to put a new stadium
nearby, maybe 45,000 seats. It would have displaced
some businesses (including the left-wing Boston Phoenix
weekly). A lot of NIMBY (Not in My Back yard) and BANANA
(Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything) folks in nearby Kenmore Sq. Though when I saw the riots I understood their concerns (though, yes, "the stadium was there before you and you knew what to expect").
I don't know if there will be a new Fenway any time soon. Not much available land in Boston. A big land-owner named
Frank McCourt (no, not the Angela's Ashes guy) had some land on the waterfront and they could have build a PacBell/SBC Park type park there, but McCourt wound up buying the Dodgers instead.
they sold out every game this yr at Fenway. the record for most consecutive sellouts is 455 (Jacobs Field, Cle.) The Red Sox record is 140 or something.
Am assuming the "Mark" was not Mark Bellhorn :)
It is a great book.
Because of the tiny stadium, they sell out and are allowed to air the home games on regular TV right? That would be a good thing.
To find land in completely developed areas would be near impossible. Their only hope would be to find a large area that due to age needs to be knocked down for revitalization.
bookmark bump
It seems like treason comes easy to Bostonians.
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